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Animalcare Group PLC on Friday said it has acquired a programme researching osteoarthritis treatment in horses and dogs. The York, England-based veterinary services and pharmaceuticals firm said it has bought the VHH NGF programme and related assets for €700,000 in cash. These assets formed part of a licence agreement with Orthros Medical signed back in March 2022 but has subsequently terminated. ‘The current VHH NGF programme is researching the effectiveness of antibodies in the treatment of pain caused by osteoarthritis in horses and dogs. The assets under development could be complementary to Daxocox, the group’s COX-2 inhibitor approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis-related pain in dogs. In the future, as a consequence of Animalcare now owning the assets, additional programmes will be explored across a variety of species and different diseases where NGF has a role,’ Animalcare said. Osteoarthritis is degenerative joint condition. The company believes the deal, which offers it ‘full ownership and control of the intellectual property and associated assets’ can help further its pipeline of products. ‘At the same time, the outstanding significant future potential financial obligations under the licence agreement have been extinguished, which included development, regulatory and commercial milestones and royalties due on net sales,’ it said. ‘Together with the group’s new development partner, 272Bio, a highly experienced and skilled biotherapeutics company specialising in VHH antibody technology, Animalcare is making strong progress with the lead equine asset from the VHH NGF programme, with early results reinforcing the board’s confidence in the programme’s potential.’ Shares in the company were up 3.0% to 259.45 pence each in London on Friday morning. Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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